HEALTH NOTES: Shirley MacLaine's way to perfect pins... even at 81

Hollywood grande dame Shirley MacLaine has revealed the secret weapon in her efforts to retain her 'dancer's physique' at the age of 81.

The actress – star of Downton Abbey, Terms Of Endearment and Steel Magnolias – is evangelical about decompressive hydrotherapy, or exercising in the water with weights.

Shirley says: 'You have weights on your feet and weights on your arms. I have a 25lb weight that I put between my legs and it sinks. As it sinks it keeps the central system elongated and in sync. I would recommend it to anybody.'

Hollywood grande dame Shirley MacLaine, pictured in the 1964 film What A Way To Go, has revealed the secret weapon in her efforts to retain her 'dancer's physique' at the age of 81

According to Shirley – who played Martha Levinson, mother of Cora, Countess of Grantham, in Downton –there's no danger of drowning if you are attached to a weight, thanks to the life vest she wears throughout.

'With 14lb on each leg, I paddle in the water with my life vest on and I am realising I do not find it to be a big workout because I don't feel any cardio from it. But apparently it is huge cardio and probably gets a lot of blood to the brain, and that is why I look good.

'I don't know, everybody tells me I look good!'

Poor diet could shrink the part of the brain in involved in mood, emotion and memory, new research shows. Australian researchers compared the brains of 255 people in their 60s on a healthy diet of fresh vegetables, salad, fruit and grilled fish with what they called a Western, or unhealthy, diet – high in roast meat, sausages, hamburgers, steak, chips, crisps and soft drinks.

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Brain scans were carried out four years apart to detect changes. They found that the hippocampus was smaller in those men and women on the Western diet.

The researchers from the University of Melbourne say the findings support evidence from previous animal studies linking the size of the brain to diet.

A smart sock for diabetics

A sock with sensors that can help diabetics monitor their feet so they know when to rest or change positions has been developed by researchers.

The ingenious new invention could help to counter nerve and circulation problems for diabetics who often have little feeling in their feet. As a result, they cannot sense pressure and temperature changes and that can increase the risk of wounds and infection because injuries go unnoticed.

A sock with sensors that can help diabetics monitor their feet so they know when to rest or change positions has been developed by researchers

In the most severe cases, this can result in gangrene and amputation. According to the charity Diabetes UK, the NHS performs an average of 135 amputations a week due to diabetic complications.

The sock contains 40 elastic sensors mapping pressure points on the feet, including the ankle and the top of the foot. Any change in pressure will send a signal to a wireless sensor. The researchers, from the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research in Germany, are now testing to see if the socks are washable.

An innovative range of clothing, designed for those who struggle to dress themselves, could increase the independence of those with limited dexterity after a stroke or other neurological conditions such as Parkinson's. Before now, dressing options for these sufferers have been limited to very basic and sometimes frumpy designs, but the Able Label is aiming to feature designs that might appeal to a younger audience. Buttons and fiddly fastenings have been replaced inside the garments by colour-co-ordinated tape, and hook and loop features to help those with cognitive difficulties.

The range is the brainchild of Katie Ellis, a former fashion buyer, who was inspired to launch the line after witnessing her grandmother's struggle with Parkinson's.

For more information on the brand, visit theablelabel.com.

Forgive... and beat blues

To forgive may be divine – and it can also play a part in staving off depression, a study has found.

Older women who forgave others were less likely to report depressive symptoms, regardless of whether they felt unforgiven by others.

For the study, by the University of Missouri, 1,000 adults aged 67 and above answered questions about their religion, health and psychological wellbeing.

'As people get older, they become more forgiving,' said researcher Ashley Ermer.

However, for older men, it was a different story: those who forgave others, and felt unforgiven by others, reported the highest levels of depression, the researchers said.

THREE WAYS TO BEAT... INSOMNIA

A third of Britons have episodes of insomnia, a sleep disorder where sufferers have difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep

PREVENT: A third of Britons have episodes of insomnia, a sleep disorder where sufferers have difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep. Practising good ‘sleep hygiene’ could nip the problem in the bud. Avoid large meals and caffeine later in the day, and establish a bedtime routine with wind-down time (such as a warm milky drink and hot bath) with a set time to go to bed and get up. Also invest in curtains or blinds that block out daylight, and avoid screentime before bed, especially in the bedroom. Studies show the blue light that displays emit inhibits sleep.

TREAT: Visit your GP to rule out underlying health conditions such as anxiety. Keep a sleep diary for at least a fortnight beforehand, detailing how much sleep you get and how many times you wake, to help your doctor to decide on the best treatment. One possibility is a course of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy specifically for insomnia (CBT-I), to help to address emotional issues that could be affecting your sleep. Sleeping tablets are likely to be prescribed only as a last resort.

DON’T BOTHER: Experts now believe the old adage of counting sheep probably doesn’t help with insomnia. Engaging in active thoughts that switch on the part of the brain that processes information may in fact make you feel more alert.